Archive

Large scale document archive

The Chancellor of the Exchequer's secret files (Howe)

In 2012 www.margaretthatcher.org uncovered through an FOI request the existence of a vast cache of secret papers stored at H.M. Treasury, some 4,850 files from the Private Office of successive Chancellors (and Chief Secretaries) between 1979 and 1997.

The first section, covering the Chancellorship of Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1979-83, was released at TNA in 2016; the files have been digitised and uploaded to the list below.

Below are links to the downloadable files in numerical order. The original file names have been modified to convey content more readily. An average file has around 100 pages.

Showing items 1 - 50 of 183

File name Title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PDF T639/1 Political (Notes from special advisers, briefings on US, etc) 79 May 30 79 Dec 19 2012 Secret 89
PDF T639/2 Europe (Visit of West German Chancellor, May 1979; Belgian PM, Spt 1979 - briefing, meeting records) 79 May 7 79 Sep 13 2012 Secret 137
PDF T639/3 Political (Chancellor's morning meetings ['Prayers'], 1979 - meeting records) 79 May 11 79 Dec 21 2012 Secret 158
PDF T639/4 Monetary policy (Relaxation of Exchange Controls - minutes, drafts, correspondence, meeting records) (Part 2) [see T639/10 for Part 1 of this file] 79 Jun 7 79 Jul 24 2012 Secret 197
PDF T639/5 Monetary policy (Relaxation of Exchange Controls - minutes, correspondence, meeting records) (Part 3) 79 Jul 17 79 Oct 22 2012 Secret 166
PDF T639/6 Public spending (Social Security; decision to uprate long-term benefits historically & in line with prices - minutes, correspondence) Part A 79 May 11 79 May 17 2012 Confidential 61
PDF T639/7 Public spending (Social Security; decision to uprate long-term benefits historically & in line with prices - minutes, correspondence) Part B 79 May 18 79 Jun 21 2012 Secret 77
PDF T639/8 Budget (1979 - minutes, correspondence, meeting records) Part A 79 May 8 79 Jul 3 2012 Secret 144
PDF T639/9 Monetary policy (Chancellor's meeting with the PM, 5 Nov 1979) 79 Oct 22 79 Nov 5 2012 Secret 120
PDF T639/10 Monetary policy (Relaxation of Exchange Controls - minutes, drafts, correspondence, meeting records) (Part 1) [see T639/4 for part 2 of this file] 79 May 4 79 Jun 5 2012 Secret 169
PDF T639/11 Political (Chancellor's speech in economic debate, 28 Nov 1979 - briefing, notes, speech drafts; two items from 1977 also) 77 Sep 27 79 Nov 28 2012 Secret 243
PDF T639/12 Monetary policy ("Gilt Strike", Nov 1979) Part A 79 Nov 2 79 Nov 15 2012 Personal & Secret 339
PDF T639/13 Political (presentation of economic policy (Jun 1979 budget; post-budget; European budget Oct 1979; ITV pay, BBC cuts) - briefing, articles, letters, notes, drafts) 79 May 10 79 Dec 20 2012 Personal & Secret 286
PDF T639/14 Personal (Refurbishment of No.11 Downing Street) 79 Apr 30 80 Mar 19 2012 Unclassified 89
PDF T639/15 Public spending (1979-80 - minutes from special advisers & Treasury ministers; meeting records; MTFS) 79 Jul 23 80 Jul 10 2012 Secret 110
PDF T639/16 Administration (Handling of ministerial correspondence - Private Office policy) 79 Aug 10 80 Jan 28 2012 Confidential 52
PDF T639/17 Political (Chancellor's morning meetings ['Prayers'], 1980 - meeting records) 80 Jan 9 80 Sep 17 2012 Secret 104
PDF T639/18 Europe (ECOFIN, Oct 1980 - briefing, circulated papers) 80 Jan 24 80 Oct 17 2012 Confidential 121
PDF T639/20 Monetary policy (Relaxation of Exchange Controls, follow-up justification - minutes, speech drafts) Part C 79 Oct 22 80 Sep 25 2012 Secret 127
PDF T639/21 Public spending (Pay of non-industrial civil servants - minutes, correspondence, meeting records) Part A 79 Dec 21 80 Dec 17 2012 Confidential & Management in confidence 152
PDF T639/22 Public spending (Social Security; decision to uprate long-term benefits historically & in line with prices - minutes, correspondence) Part C 79 Jul 26 80 Jan 30 2012 Secret 48
PDF T639/23 Public spending (Social Security Bill removing earnings link, etc - minutes, correspondence) Part A 79 May 22 80 Mar 13 2012 Secret 52
PDF T639/25 Political (Chancellor's morning meetings ['Prayers'], 1981 - meeting records) 81 Jan 20 81 Dec 9 2012 Secret 46
PDF T639/26 Political (Chancellor's visit to Scotland, Jan 1981 - brief & debrief) 81 Jan 28 81 Feb 2 2012 Unclassified 40
PDF T639/27 Political (Opening to the public of the cabinet war rooms) 81 Jun 26 82 Jan 4 2012 Unclassified 23
PDF T639/28 Political (Chancellor's Party Political Broadcast, December 1981 - drafts, briefing) 81 Nov 6 81 Dec 8 2012 Restricted 57
PDF T639/29 Political (Conservative Research Department "Mid-term Report", 1981 - draft, comments) 81 Jul 2 81 Jul 21 2012 Secret 96
PDF T639/30 Political (Government Strategy - Hoskyns paper, Dec 1980; Chequers meeting, Jan 1981; Thorneycroft paper, Jun 1981) 80 Dec 22 81 Jun 23 2012 Secret 65
PDF T639/31 Public spending (Social Security & Child Benefit) 79 Oct 29 81 Mar 4 2012 Confidential 81
PDF T639/32 International (Visit of the Sultan of Brunei - briefing) 81 Apr 30 81 May 8 2012 Confidential 26
PDF T639/33 International (Visit of the President & Finance Minister of Ghana - briefing, meeting records) 81 May 8 81 May 15 2012 Confidential 81
PDF T639/34 Europe (ECOFIN/Social Affairs ['Jumbo'] Council, Jun 1981 - briefing, Chancellor's notes) 81 Apr 6 81 Jun 11 2012 Confidential 114
PDF T639/35 Public spending (1980-81 - minutes from special advisers & Treasury ministers; meeting records; strategy) 80 Jul 15 81 Jan 16 2012 Secret 124
PDF T639/37 International (Ottawa G7 Summit, Jul 1981 - briefing) 81 Apr 30 81 Jul 13 2012 Secret 24
PDF T639/38 International (Ottawa G7 Summit, Jul 1981 - briefing, meeting record, notes) 81 Jul 14 81 Jul 22 2012 Confidential 123
PDF T639/39 Europe (Chancellor's visit to Paris, Jan 1981 - briefing, notes, speech) 81 Jan 22 81 Jan 27 2012 Confidential 107
PDF T639/42 International (Visit of Venezuelan Finance Minister, May 1981 - briefing) 81 Apr 30 81 May 5 2012 Confidential 25
PDF T639/43 International (PM's visit to the US, Feb 1981; Chancellor's visit, May 1981 - briefing) 81 Feb 11 81 May 8 2012 Secret 223
PDF T639/44 Europe (Visit of President & Vice President of European Investment Bank, May 1981 - briefing) 81 Apr 10 81 May 5 2012 Confidential 27
PDF T639/45 Monetary policy (Chancellor's appearance before Treasury Select Committee, 25 Mar 1981 - briefing) 81 Mar 4 81 Mar 21 2012 Confidential 236
PDF T639/46 Monetary policy (Chancellor's appearance before Treasury Select Committee, 25 Mar 1981 - briefing) 81 Mar 23 81 Mar 25 2012 Confidential 227
PDF T639/47 Monetary policy (Chancellor's Mais Lecture, May 1981 - briefing, notes, drafts) 81 Jan 14 81 May 7 2012 Unclassified 246
PDF T639/48 Monetary policy (Chancellor's Mais Lecture, May 1981 - drafts, text, earlier lectures) 81 May 8 81 May 12 2012 Unclassified 94
PDF T639/49 Europe (European Council [Luxembourg], Jun 1981 - briefing) 81 Jun 16 81 Jun 26 2012 Confidential 269
PDF T639/50 Europe (Chancellor's visit to The Hague, Jun 1981 - speech, drafting) 81 May 21 81 Jun 3 2012 Confidential 125
PDF T639/51 Europe (ECOFIN, Jul 1981 - full briefing, circulated papers) 81 Jun 17 81 Jul 3 2012 Confidential 107
PDF T639/52 Europe (Informal ECOFIN [Breda], Apr 1981 - briefing; items on EC budget) 81 Jan 23 81 Apr 2 2012 Confidential 119
PDF T639/53 Europe (Chancellor's visit to Frankfurt to meet West German Finance Minister, Jul 1981 - briefing, records of conversation) 81 Jul 7 81 Jul 20 2012 Confidential 49
PDF T639/54 International (Meeting of G5 finance ministers & central bank governors in London, Apr 1981 - arrangements, briefing) 81 Mar 31 81 Apr 10 2012 Confidential 56
PDF T639/55 International (Visit of Mexican Finance Minister, Apr 1981 - briefing, record of conversation) 80 Jul 30 81 Apr 14 2012 Confidential 66